One Piece: The Tale of Van Drake
by SupaStar-Man
Summary: Set 25 years after the death of the Second Pirate King, a new legend begins his journey...his name is Drake. Accepting OCs, rated T for violence and language.
1. Introducing Drake

Hey everyone, it's me...I haven't made a fic in forever, but I've recently been inspired to do one again. I made a One Piece fic before, but it's lack of popularity resulted in it being cut short. So now I'm trying again. This time, I'm spicing things up by letting people submit OCs. The form will be at the bottom. So without further ado, I present to you my fanfic. Enjoy!

**********

Life...what is life? The "goal" of life, what is it? Is it really just to keep things moving along? Or is it working towards some greater cause? Those who "live" their lives and go on to do great things...are they different? Were they "placed" here for a special cause? A single existence...Gold Roger, Whitebeard, Monkey D. Luffy, Portgas D. Ace...they "influence" the lives of millions of other people. They "advance" the way of thinking, the way some people live. But once these people's lives are set in stone, "new" faces appear. These "new" faces change the world in even greater ways, ways that not even the legends before them could have foreseen. The "progress" of life, the natural "order" of life...they are never-ending, expanding more and more as time goes by. And as time goes by...these "new" legends are born...

**********

~_Bergman City, Inseglet Island, North Blue, 25 years after the death of the Second Pirate King~_

"Come on, come all!" Cheered a man as he raised his arms in the air, catching people's attention by standing on a small platform. The mans dressed almost like a circus carney, with a top hat, red jacket and darker red pants. He let out another jubilant yell. "Come see one of the greatest acts in the world, the great Leonardo Troupe! Led by me, the great Leonardo!" He hollered, putting an emphasis on his own name. The man's yelling and screaming was catching the attention of several passerby's on the street.

"What's this guy hollering about?" Whispered one observer to the other.

"Dunno. Some kinda traveling troupe or something." The other observer whispered back. "I've never heard of them before though."

The man on the stage, Leonardo, began to speak in his loud, booming voice again. "So you all wanna see something amazing, do ya!" He pointed one of his hands towards a large covered wagon that was behind him. "Inside there, is some of the most world-class talent and most amazing things in the world! For instance...The great juggler woman, Ida!"

On cue, from the tent emerged a beautiful, blonde-haired woman dressed in a silken dress appeared, and from behind her produced 10 small red balls, and then began juggling them with the utmost of ease. The crowd observers began to look on in amazement of both her skill and her looks. Some clapped and whistled towards the fine young woman, and some began to throw money.

"And who could not forget," Leonardo continued with the introductions. "The great magician, Poppe!" From the tent emerged a balding, middle aged man dressed in a purple robe and a long purple hat. He began to clap his hands together and chant a silent prayer, and then suddenly, from what seemed to be from thin air, produced a bouquet of roses. The audience again cheered and tossed some spare change towards the man.

"And last, most definitely not least," Said Leonardo, his loud voice toning down to small whisper to build the excitement of the crowd, "The Leonardo Troupe's main act, the famed "Dragon Boy", Van Drake!"

From the tent emerged a person significantly younger then the other two performers, looking to be about seventeen years of age. He was dressed more casually as well, wearing a black jacket over a white shirt, with somewhat loose pants. He had short, black hair, and had slightly dark skin. Around his neck he had some sort of necklace, the pendant of it being in the shape of an anchor.

The crowd stared at the boy with some sort of befuddlement. He did not look any different from any other boy in the city, why was the man called Leonardo hailing him as the "Dragon Boy"?

The stared back at the silenced crowd, wearing a cool expression on his face. Then he put his hand to his mouth as if he was about to blow a kiss...

And amazed the crowd as he blew flames out from his mouth.

The silent crowd suddenly erupted in cheers and applause at this incredibly and unbelievable the boy had just preformed. The crowd threw more money towards the boy, more than the last 2 performers combined. The boy, still silent, smiled faintly and took a bow.

***********

Marvelous show today, everyone, simply marvelous!" Said Leonardo as he entered the traveling wagon of the troupe. The three performers, Drake, Ida, and Poppe were sitting town at a small table, enjoying themselves to a meal of bread and soup. "I just finished counting, the money we've made today totals 200,000 Beli! Quite hefty for this job, I must say!

"It's all thanks to Drake-chan here." Said Ida cutely, eyeing Drake. "Everyone loves to see the 'Dragon Boy', don't they?"

Drake did not respond, he simply kept eating.

"I'll say," Said Leonardo. "We're lucky to find someone like you kid. You having the 'Devil Fruit' ability and all...what is that one called again?"

Drake glanced towards Leonardo. "The Ryuu Ryuu Fruit." He answered nonchalantly.

"Ah yes, of course. You really are a "Dragon Boy", aren't you? Though you're getting older now, aren't you? I might start calling you "Dragon Man" soon..."

"By the way," Said Poppe. "Did I tell you all about what I saw yesterday?" Though Poppe's onstage magic were just tricks, he claimed that he actually could see these 'visions' of otherworldly beings. Though as he was the only one who claimed this, no one ever knew if he was being truthful or not. Nonetheless, they were always pretty amusing to hear.

"No Poppe, what did you see? Asked Ida curiously, always eager to hear of whatever it was Poppe had to say.

"Well, when I was getting the firewood the other day, I saw something large flying over the trees. I couldn't quite exactly see what it was over the trees, but it looked oh so majestic...soaring free amongst the skies. I couldn't help but admire it..."

Drake had suddenly perked up to this story. "You couldn't find out what it was?" He asked in between bites of bread. Poppe shook his head. Drake, for an instant, wore a serious expression on his face, but it quickly broke into a grin. "Well, if you can't describe it, how do you expect anyone to believe you?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Bah, don't believe me if you will, but I know what I saw!" Protested Poppe, as he went back to eating his meal. Ida chuckled at the old man's stubbornness.

**********

"Ida, Poppe" Whispered Drake. Night had fallen, and the group had fallen asleep. He could hear Leonardo's loud snoring coming from the front of the wagon.

"Of course we are." Whispered Whispered Ida back. "Who the hell can sleep on this floor?"

"I'll say, " Grumbled Poppe as he struggled to get comfortable on the barren floor. "That Leonardo, always taking up all the blankets... Anyway, what's on your mind boy?"

"Nothin' much." Murmured Drake, looking up at the ceiling of the covered wagon. "I just... can't sleep is all."

"Che, who can?" Said Ida, looking for an excuse to complain. "These floors are as hard as anything out there..."

"No it's nothing like that." Protested Drake, though that was certainly true. "It's just that..." He was carefully picking out his next words. "Is this _really_ all I'm going to be doing in this life? Living in a wagon, just giving out performances..."

"Now now, no need to get so philosophical." Said Ida. "Listen, I know you don't remember much from this time, but when Poppe and I found you, you were just a little boy cast aside to the streets, most likely because of that Devil Fruit you have. Since then you've become a part of our little family here, raised like any other boy. If we hadn't picked you up people would probably be throwing rocks at you instead of money and you wouldn't have a roof over your head. Just be thankful of what you have."

"I know that." Said Drake back. "But...I want to be something greater. No, it's like I feel as if I _have _to. 'Something' is calling me...."

"Well then, what is it?" Asked Ida. "What would you rather be doing than this?"

"I dunno, something great." Pondered Drake. "Something legendary, something wonderful. Something like..._becoming the next pirate king._"

He had no idea how those were the words that came out of his mouth. But as soon as they had, he felt they were the exact correct words to say. He suddenly felt a wave of inspiration coming over him. Something had been calling at him before, and he never knew what. But in that instant, he knew. This was exactly what he wanted to do.

Ida, if not for not wanting to wake Leonardo up, would've jolted upright. "Hold on. You _do_ know what you're saying, right?" She stared at the boy in disbelief. "Life as a pirate? Dancing with death at every turn? Getting your ass chased by the government? Are you saying _that's _what you want to do?"

Drake still wasn't sure himself. But thinking about living his life that way brought a rush of excitement to his head. "Yeah..." He said. "Yeah, that's _exactly_ what I wanna do."

Ida continued to look at him like he was crazy. "Well, if that's what you wanna do, you better forget about it for now. Leonardo would never let you walk away from the troupe like that. You're his big money maker. And you _know_ how he gets when things don't go his way."

Drake knew. Leonardo, at most times was an okay guy, but when you tried to argue with him, he'd turn into the devil. He wold spare no one, not a man, woman, or child would be safe from his wrath.

"I'll think of something." Said Drake. "I'll be a pirate one day. Just you guys wait." With that, he turned around and tried to go to sleep.

***********

"Alrighty! Wakey wakey, everyone, time to get to work!" Drake awoke to the sound of Leonardo's familiar voice. "We'll have a quick breakfast, and then we're off to preform!" The members of the troupe groggily awoke from their hard surface sleeping areas and headed towards the small table in the front of the wagon, were some fruits and cereal had been prepared.

"We've got another performance today!" Said Leonardo cheerily as the groggy performers began to slowly eat their food. "Business is catching up! Soon, we'll be gaining a reputation around these parts, and I bet in no time places in the Grand Line will be begging to have us perform for them!" He looked towards Drake. "And it's all thanks to you 'Dragon Boy' . As long as we have you, Leonardo's Troupe will reign supreme in the entertainment world!"

Drake looked back at Leonardo. This looked like a good time to say it. "Yeah, about that." He said casually. "I was thinking, I kinda wanna leave this 'troupe' business."

Ida put a hand to her head. Big mistake, kid.

Leonardo's expression suddenly changed. A familiar look of hatred and rage filled his face. "What...did..you...say?" He asked, almost unable to speak.

Drake, undaunted, looked at him right in the eye. "I said I kinda feel like leaving."

In what seemed like an instant, Leonardo had flung across the table, violently knocking it over, as Ida and Poppe just barely escaped it from hitting them. Drake found on the ground, himself unable to breath, Leonardo's hand wrapped tightly around his neck. "Listen here boy," Hissed Leonardo, with a murderous look on his face. "You're my one ticket out of this hellhole of an island, got that? Do you know how much I'd be destroyed if you were to leave? I wouldn't be anybody, got that? As long as you are with me, you're _never_ leaving, you got that?!" He ripped his hand from Drake's neck, fuming. Drake, felt his neck as he slowly got up, feeling a little lucky to be alive. He looked at Ida and Poppe. They gave him a 'we told you so' look back. _Looks like my dream will have to wait..._He thought.

***********

"And last, most definitely not least," Said Leonardo, giving his usual routine "The Leonardo Troupe's main act, the famed "Dragon Boy", Van Drake!" D

Drake heard the familiar crowd roar as he appeared from the tent. He walked rather downtrodden, more so than usual, as he turned the face the crowd. He got ready to preform, putting his hand to his mouth...

Suddenly, he began to feel faint. His eyes began to lose focus as he found himself losing balance and falling to the ground. _What's happening?_ He thought. Before he could figure that out, he had fallen to the ground, unconscious.

***********

"Wh-where am I?" Drake looked around. Darkness surrounded him everywhere. What had happened? One moment he had been ready to preform. Now he was in some, cold dark area. Suddenly, he had the impression someone was watching him. It made the hairs on his back stand up straight. "Who's there?" He asked, spinning around to see if anyone was behind him. There wasn't.

"_He he he,"_ A dark cold voice suddenly whispered. Drake looked around frantically for the source. He couldn't find it. _"You want to know who I am?"_

Suddenly Drake noticed someone in the distance. The person was sitting down on a lone wooden chair, their entire body covered by a black robe. Their face was casting downwards to the ground and concealed by a black hood, so Drake could not see his face.

"W-who are you?" Asked Drake. He could not see any of the person's body, but he felt a distinct aura of fear coming from the figure.

"_I go by many names," _Spoke the figure. _"'Fate', 'Destiny'...but most just call me..."_ He raised his head, revealing his face to Drake. _"...Death."_

_***********_

"...Drake, Drake, wake up!" Yelled Ida as she hit the side of his head. Drake groggily began to come to, much to the relief of Ida and Poppe.

"What happened?" Asked Drake softly. He instantly remembered his dream. _What was that all about?_ He thought.

"You passed out. You had a huge fever. Looks like it's subsiding now though." Said Ida, as she felt Drake's forehead again.

Drake slowly got up and felt his forehead. He realized he had a headache. "Where's Leonardo?" He asked casually.

Suddenly Ida and Poppe's expressions grew sullen. "When you passed out..." Spoke Ida, finding the words difficult to say. "Some deranged guy ran at Leonardo and chased him into the forest and..."

"And killed him." Finished Poppe. "He is dead."

"...Dead?" Drake found the words almost unable to register. Just like that...he was dead? "Does that mean..."

"Yeah," Said Ida, with tears beginning to appear in her eyes. "You're free to go if you want."

*********

Drake gazed in the distance. He saw his raft, which he had crafted in secret over the past year. Something that just yesterday felt like it could never happen was happening. He was about to set off and begin his life as a pirate.

"I put a map in your coat pocket." Said Ida, running over a list of things. "And I've made you some strawberries. This'll last you for a while. We're also giving you a million beli to start you off with." She presented him with a basket in which the strawberries were contained along with the money. Drake took both, before embracing both Ida and Poppe.

"Thanks you two. I promise I won't forget you guys." With that, Drake began to walk towards his raft, ready to embark on adventures unknown.

"Ida," Whispered Poppe. "I didn't want to tell Drake because he went through a lot yesterday, but I 'saw' something yesterday."

"Really, what?" Whispered Ida back in a sarcastic tone.

"When that crazed man was chasing Leonardo into the woods," Spoke Poppe. "I saw it. There was 'another' person chasing after him. A figure, concealed all in black. The figure of 'death'..."

Ida rolled her eyes. "You and your visions." She said.

**********

So there you have it. Not alot of action, but that'll heat up, I promise. Anyway, here's the character form:

Name: Tell me the person's name (duh)

Age: Your character's age

Abilities: Any fighting powers this person may have.

Personality: Give me the traits and charecteristics of your character. Try to be specific so I don't screw up your characters.

Appearance: What your character looks like. Again, try to be specific.

Background: A little backstory of your character.

Dream: What is this person's goal?


	2. Jaa Island 1

A/N: Hey everyone, me again. Woah, what a reaction! I guess people like these kinda stories, huh? Well, do not fret, because here is a new chapter for y'all, featuring characters submitted by M-Rated-Writer and Silver Wolf Demon! Enjoy!

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Drake gazed into the horizon as he relaxed on the small boat he had made for himself. He considered it a fine piece of work, seeing as he had no sort of experience in shipbuilding. Just tied some logs together, prop up a sail, and that was it. Though he knew if he were to become a serious pirate and build himself a crew, he would have get a real ship. He decided to worry about that later. He looked at the map Ida had given him. According to it, the next closest island would be Jaa Island. He didn't know much about navigation either, but he was quite confident he was heading towards it.

And he was right. After drifting for what seemed like a day, Drake was able to make out the outline of the island. In his excitement, he began to paddle towards it using his hands as oars. Though this did little to help progress towards the island, it made the excitement inside Drake to grow. Within an hour, he was docking at a port city on Jaa Island.

**********

Drake looked around as he walked through the port city. The city, known as Panom City as he would later find out, to him seemed very lively: Children were playing about, and he could see people walking throughout the city with happy expressions on their faces. Based on the small and cheaply built houses everyone had, Drake guessed that the people here didn't have a lot, but they cherished what they had. Drake found himself so occupied with the surrounding areas that he didn't notice the three people in front of him and walked right into them.

"Hey, watch were you're goin'!" Said one of them. Drake looked down to see he had bumped into three children, all looking to be about the same age of between 12 and 13. They were all wearing oriental type robes along with matching pants. The one who had spoken back to Drake looked to be the oldest, and was wearing a yellow and green robe, with his hair concealed under a hat. Another boy was wearing a sleeveless, brown robe that had strings tying it together at the front. The last child was a girl, who if not for the longer, braided hair and pink robe, would look exactly identical to the boy in the brown robe. Drake assumed those two must be twins.

"Sorry about that." Drake apologized. "My bad. I should have been looking where I was going...."

"If you wanna make up for it, ya gotta watch us perform!" Said the boy in the yellow and green robe again.

"Jiz, that's sorta mean, he doesn't have to..." Spoke the girl in Drake's defense.

"Be quiet, Aki!" Said Jiz back. "If you wanna succeed as a performer, you gotta attract as much people as possible!"

Drake couldn't help but sigh. Here he was, having finally escaped from living the life in a preforming troupe, only to begin to be drawn back into it. He figured he might as well watch, as it would hopefully be the last time he ever would have to.

"Alright then. Tin!" Said Jiz, nodding towards the boy in the brown robes. "Get ready, we're gonna be doing..."

"Jiz, Tin, Aki!" Called out a voice, interrupting their performance. An elderly man dressed in a brown shirt and matching pants was calling out to the children "Are you doing that 'performing' scam again? What did I tell you three about swindling?" He proceeded to give each of the three children a swift smack on the head.

"Hey!" Yelled Jiz, clearly offended by being hit. "It was this guy's fault, jii-chan!" He was the one who..."

"No excuses!" Said the man sharply before smacking Jiz on the head again. He looked towards Drake. "I'm sorry, these kids here are always causing trouble. I hope they didn't bother you too much."

"No, they weren't too much of a..." Drake began.

"Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" Asked the man, interrupting Drake. Apparently he was very apologetic.

"No, you don't have to go that far..." Drake began, but again was interrupted, not by the man, but by the growling of his stomach. It was at this point he realized he had left the food that Ida had given him on his boat. This realization made him change his mind. "Well, I am a little hungry..." Drake confessed.

The old man smiled. "Well then, follow me to my inn! I'll treat ya to some food. You need a place to stay too?" Drake nodded. "I'll give you a free night's stay then! By the way, my name is Jouji" The old man added as he began to lead Drake to his inn.

**********

"Please, make yourself at home!" Said Jouji as he, Drake, and the three kids entered his inn. "Can I get you anything to eat?" He asked Drake.

"Anything is fine." Responded Drake as he took a seat by a nearby table. "Nice little place you got here." He noted, looking around at the small but quaint inn.

"Thanks. I've been runnin' this inn for almost 25 years now." Said Jouji as he began pulled out a pot from a cabinet and placed it on a nearby stove and began to heat some water. "So what brings you to this island?" He asked.

"How did you know I wasn't from here?" Asked Drake, simply curious to know.

"Heh, I've been livin' on this island my whole life." Answered Jouji. "We villagers here are a tight-knit bunch. If I don't recognize ya, You're not from here." He then turned to Jiz, Tin, and Aki. "Alright you three, help me prepare this man some soup. It's you're fault he's here anyway." He said, his tone of voice suggesting he was still angry at them. The three kids groaned, but reluctantly did what he said.

"Are those three kids your grandkids?" Asked Drake, noting that the man looked to be a bit too old to be the father.

"Nah, I took 'em in." Answered Jouji. "Apparently those three thought they could be pirates and tried to sail on the open sea by themselves, without any sort of experience or materials, they're lucky they lived long enough to wash up on this island and for me to take them in. Tin, don't add that much salt!" He barked back at Tin.

"Heh...pretty crazy..." Said Drake in a fake chuckle, realizing that story sounded almost exactly like what he was doing.

"So anyway, what brings ya here?" Asked Jouji again as he began to stir the ingredients the three children had placed in the pot.

"Oh, I'm an...explorer." Drake lied. He didn't want to let this man know he was an aspiring pirate, for fear of Jouji losing his hospitality. He quickly tried to change the subject. "So...what's everyone on this island so pumped for? Looks like some sort of festival or something's happening."

"Yeah, in two days, the Jaa Festival is starting." Answered Jouji.

"Jaa?" Asked Drake.

"Jaa is our god, and the namesake of our island." Explained Jouji. "He brings peace fertility all throughout Jaa Island. During this time of year, everything gets dried up, so every year we hold a great festival in his honor in hopes he will bring us the rain we need."

Drake was slightly intrigued by this. "Does it work?" He asked. Praying to god for rain seemed a little ridiculous to him. "Do you get rain?"

Jouji smiled. "Of course! Every time, Jaa has always provided us with plenty of rain to last us throughout the dry season. It's thanks to him we're able to have food grown and supplied!"

Drake shrugged. Hey, whatever works for you...

"Hey jii-chan, the soup's just about ready!" Said Aki, pulling the the two men back out of their conversation.

"Ah," Said Jouji. He turned to face Drake again. "Hold on a sec. I'll get you your soup." He went over to the cabinet to get a bowl, then grabbed a ladle and poured some soup from the pot into the bowl. "Here ya go," He said, placing the soup on the table near Drake. "It's not much, but it'll hold you off until the morning."

Drake took a spoon and sipped some of the piping hot soup. _Not bad,_ he thought as he took another spoonful.

"Well, it's getting late, you three." Said Jouji to Jiz, Tin, and Aki as he glanced at his wristwatch. "You three should be getting to bed.

"Aw c'mon, can't we stay up a little longer. We're pretty much teenagers, we can take care of ourselves!" Pleaded Jiz, but Jouji firmly shook his head no. With a huff, Jiz, Tin, and Aki went upstairs.

"So, those kids the only people living with you?" Asked Drake, noting the lack of any other people in the inn.

Jouji gave out a laugh. "Heavens no. I'd go crazy if it was just me and those brats. I have a daughter. About your age." He answered.

"A daughter?" Asked Drake in between bites of soup. "Where is she? Upstairs?"

"No, she's with my brother, or her uncle. He's this big martial arts guy, and she always goes with him to train."

"Martial Arts? Is he strong?" Asked Drake. He wanted to hear about the strength of others, for some reason unknown to him. Not like this guy would ever join him.

"_Very_ strong." Answered Jouji. "In fact, every year he is assigned the honorary 'Guarding of Jaa', in which he stands outside the temple containing the statue of Jaa before the night of the festival. Although, no one ever actually tries to steal it, and he just winds up getting drunk every time." Jouji let out a hardy laugh.

"What about your daughter?" Inquired Drake, switching targets. "Is she strong?"

"Yeah, well...She's been training with him for awhile, so I guess she'd be pretty strong...she's never showed me her skills though..." Said Juoji. From the way he had said it, it sounded like he was not keen on the subject and was trying to keep some information about his daughter away from Drake. Drake decided to let it slide. It wasn't any of his business.

"Well what about you?" Asked Jouji. "If you're asking about how strong all these people, you must be a pretty strong fella too, eh?"

"Well...I guess you could say that..." Said Drake a little nervously, also wanting to conceal something about his true strength. Mainly his Devil Fruit.

"Well, there are plenty of competitions at the Jaa Festival that are tests of strength. Maybe you could try some out." Suggested Jouji.

"Maybe." Said Drake halfheartedly. "You said that festival is in two days right?" Jouji nodded. Drake couldn't imagine himself staying on the island for that long. Not if there wasn't anything of significant value on the island or if there wasn't anyone unwilling to join his pirate crew. He planned on restocking on some supplies tomorrow, before moving on to the next island to see what was of interest there.

"Well, it's getting late for us too." Noted Juoji, glancing at his wristwatch again. "What do you say we both hit the hay?"

"What about your daughter? Isn't she still at your brother's?" Wondered Drake.

"Ah, she always stays with him this late. I'm always asleep when she comes home. Now then, time for some shuteye." Said Jouji as he began to climb up the steps to the bedrooms.

**********

"HI-YA!" A girl fiercely charged towards an older looking man and delivered it to the man's face, but the man expertly parried the blow by blocking it with his two hands. The two were standing outside a large temple-like building, facing off on what looked to be a fierce fight.

"You're getting better, Tora." Said the man as they both regained a neutral. At first glance, the man would never appear to anyone to be a master of the martial arts, with his slightly chunky build, middle age, and thick glasses. However, everyone who knew him well knew what he was truly capable of.

"Thanks, Uncle Mao." The girl panted. She looked to be about sixteen and had bright, long orange hair that was tied into a braid, with equally illuminating yellow eyes. However the clothes she wore were pretty lackluster: A simple brown T-shirt with blue pants. Apparently she wasn't one for fashion.

"Now listen," Said Mao, propping up his glasses. "I have taught you my art, but in exchange you must promise me that you will never use it for personal gain, only for self defense."

"I promise." Said Tora with a roll of her eyes. He'd made her take that vow over at least one hundred times.

"Well then, that pretty much wraps it up for today then." Said Mao, his expression turning less serious. "Lets go get some drinks!"

"B-but, I'm only sixteen..." Protested Tora, wanting to go home.

"Ah, it's only two days until the festival. Where's your sense of adventure?" Said Mao.

Tora sighed. Everyone knew that the only thing Mao was better at than martial arts was drinking. He could go on for hours drinking some fine rum. He would stop at nothing to find an excuse to go drink. She began to reluctantly follow him until some rustling in the bushes caught both of their attention.

"Looks like I caught you just in time." Said a male voice as a figure emerged from the bushes.

Mao's happy expression reverted back into its' serious one as his eyes narrowed behind his thick glasses. "You again." He said the words in disdain.

Tora looked at the man that had emerged. He was tall and muscular, with black spiked hair. He wore a jean-vest over a black shirt and wore jeans for pants. To Tora he looked like someone you didn't want to mess with.

"I've come with a new offer." He spoke again in a serious voice. "500 Million Beli. Straight up, in cash. What do you say?"

Tora's jaw almost dropped. 500 _Million_? That could supply this whole village with food for a month! What could Mao have that was possibly so valuable.

"I told you," Barked Mao. "I ain't giving it you! There's no price to it! I'm not selling it to you, you better give up on wanting it!"

Before Mao could say anymore, the man with the spiked hair put a hand up. "Alright, I understand." He said coolly. "It's not enough, you won't sell it. Just stop yelling at me, okay?" Then, with an amazing use of strength, the man leaped backwards, back into the bushes.

Tora was completely confused by what she had just seen. "Um...Uncle Mao, who was that man? And what did he want that's so valuable?" She wasn't even sure she should have asked.

"Heh, that bastard..." Said Mao, still in a fury. He turned his head towards the temple that was in front of them. "He wants to buy the statue of Jaa!"

**********

"Boss," Spoke the spikey-haired man, still hiding within the bushes, as he spoke into a Den Den Mushi. "He refused our offer again. What do we do now? That festival of theirs is happening in two days, it'll be impossible to get it then..."

"_Calm down, Toshiro." _Spoke a voice at the other end. _"We'll get it, don't worry, we'll get it. That statue is made of Chinpouseki, the most valuable mineral on the planet. That statue must be worth an astronomical sum. We'll get it, because I, the great Yaba, _always _get what I want."_ With that, the man on the other end hung up.

**********

And there you have it! Still not that actiony yet, just wait for it...anyways, credit goes to M-Rated-Writer for Jiz, Tin, and Aki and Silver Wolf Demon for Tora. More OCs to be featured later, so keep submitting 'em! Also, I realized that the OC sheet is missing 'position', which is kinda important. So the new sheet is:

Name: Tell me the person's name (duh)

Age: Your character's age

Abilities: Any fighting powers this person may have.

Position: If this person was on a pirate crew, what would be their position? If they're not a pirate, what are they?

Personality: Give me the traits and charecteristics of your character. Try to be specific so I don't screw up your characters.

Appearance: What your character looks like. Again, try to be specific.

Background: A little backstory of your character.

Dream: What is this person's goal?

Stay tuned for more!


	3. Jaa Island 2

A/N: Hey yall, back again with another chapter. This time around, we have another OC, submitted by Mavrik Zero. Also I gave Tora some attack names. Hope the creator, Silver Wolf Demon, doesn't mind...anyway, Enjoy!

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Drake awoke to the sunlight pouring in on his face from the window positioned on the right side of his bed in the room in the inn he had slept in the previous night. He squinted to get the sun out of his eyes before arising and began to stretch a bit. He then smelled something being cooked down from the kitchen. He figured Jouji and the kids were making some breakfast.

This idea, however, was quickly dashed when he looked outside the door of his room and saw Jouji, Jiz, Tin, and Aki about to head downstairs.

"Ah, Drake, you're up!" Said Jouji. "We're about go have have breakfast. Care to join us?" He asked Drake.

"...Who's cooking?" Said Drake, slightly confused.

"My daughter, Tora." Said Jouji. Drake had forgotten that he had a daughter. "I don't know how she's up before any of us...and they say teenagers sleep in a lot..." With that, he began to head down the stairs.

"Hey, onii-san," Whispered Tin to Drake. "Don't tell jii-chan I told ya this, but Tora's cooking is really ba..." He found himself being smacked on the head by Aki.

"Don't say that she cooks bad! That's an insult to her!" She said to him sternly. "Even if it's not the best stuff..."

"Hey, you guys coming?" Called a female voice from downstairs, a voice that was unfamiliar to Drake.

"Yeah, hold on!" Jiz hollered back. "Let's go eat and get this done with..." He sighed under his breath so that Aki wouldn't hear him.

"Good morning you three!" Said Tora cheerfully as she turned to face the kids that were coming down the steps. She also was surprised to see an unfamiliar boy coming down the steps as well. "Who's this guy, dad?" She asked Jouji.

"Ah, I forgot to to mention, this guy stayed with us last night. His name's Drake. Drake, this is my daughter, Tora." Said Jouji introducing the two to each other.

"Hey. Drake, was it?" Said Tora, appearing friendly to Drake. "I didn't account for you, but there should still be enough food for you. Care to have some breakfast."

"Sure." Said Drake offhandedly with a shrug. He was pretty hungry, and figured he should eat something, even if what Tin had told him was true. Plus, as a pirate, he decided refusing wouldn't be being "adventurous." He sat down at the table and wait for his meal.

"Here ya go!" Said Tora, who took a big spoon and give Drake what looked to him to be a big piece of a reddish, meaty slop. He took a spoon and sampled a piece. _Tin was right. _He realized as he painfully chewed through the food. _This tastes like crap!_ Not one to show disrespect, he began to bravely down the remainder of the meal.

"By the way," Spoke Jouji, who seemed immune to his daughter's cooking as he eagerly ate another bite of whatever this food was supposed to be. "I noticed we're actually running a bit low a food supplies. Tora, do you mind going to the market to buy some more?"

"Sure." Said Tora. "Mind if I bring the kids here?"

"Hey, watch who you're callin' kid!" Said Jiz. "I'm only three years younger than you, ya know!" Tora gave him a glance.

"Sure. Why don't you go too, Drake?" Said Jouji suddenly, turning towards Drake.

"...Me?" Asked Drake. He'd been planning to leave the island as soon as he finished breakfast, he hadn't learned of any secret treasure or anyone who looked like they wanted to join him. Doing chores for an old man he'd met yesterday was not on his to-do list. He was about to refuse when he saw that girl, Tora staring at him intently. It wasn't very menacing, but something about the way he was staring at her was making him think refusing would be a bad idea. _She's got some pretty tough eyes_ He thought to himself. "Sure, I'll do it." He said, sounding as casual as ever.

* * *

"Hey, Tora-neesan, are we there yet?" Moaned Jiz as he, along with Tin, Aki, Tora, and Drake walked through the streets. "It feels like we've been walking for an hour..."

Tora gave him a swift slap on the head. "Be quiet, we've only been walking for fifteen minutes." She said to him in an insisting voice. "Sheesh, you're always such a pain..."

"Tora-neesan sure is strong," Remarked Aki to Tin. "She always bosses around Jiz like he's some little kid, but he's pretty strong too..."

"I know. I never want to get on her bad side..." Whispered Tin back.

Drake had to agree. You wouldn't think someone like her would be tough at first glance, but Drake could tell that she was. He still didn't know why though....but there _something_ about her that told Drake she wouldn't be one to mess with.

Jiz wasn't stopping with his whining. "There are a bunch of other markets everywhere," He complained. "Why do we always have to go to the same one?"

"I told you, the owner of this shop is good friends with my dad. He's the only person my dad trusts." Explained Tora, getting annoyed with Jiz's bickering.

Drake noticed more people putting up decorations around their shops and houses. "So...I heard that there's some festival going on soon." He said, trying to strike up a conversation.

"That's right." Said Tora with a smile. "The Jaa Festival. It's really fun, there's a bunch of tournaments and games, lots of celebrating and drinking...My Uncle Mao always gets drunk completely out of his mind." She chuckled a little thinking about that. "And then at the end, we all gather at the head temple and pray to the statue of Jaa, praying to him for a bountiful harvest to last us until next year."

"Seems kinda silly praying to a god for help if ya ask me." Said Drake, not thinking much of the subject, seeing as he would leave before the festival began.

Tora gave him a serious look. "Well, I'll have you know that the villagers here really look up to Jaa. Why, without him we..."

Her conversation was interrupted by a loud, piercing scream that caught the attention of everyone in the marketplace.

"Huh? What's happening?" Said Aki, getting slightly nervous at all the people that were running to the source of the scream came from.

Tora looked towards where everyone was heading towards. "They're going towards the temple were the Statue of Jaa is held..." She gave an exasperated sigh. "It's probably Mao...he probably got drunk and tried to molest someone..." She began to walk towards the site of the commotion. The three kids and Drake began to follow.

"Excuse me, coming through, family business here..." Muttered Tora as she made her way through the crowd of people, wondering what her uncle could have possibly done this time. However, as she drew nearer, she noticed that the situation was far more serious. It was just a glimpse through the crowd, but she saw someone holding Mao in their arms, he had been beaten to a bloody pulp. "Oh god..." She gasped as she began to break into a run towards Mao.

"Hey!" Said Jiz as he began to sprint as well to keep up with her. "Why are we running..." His question was answered when he caught up to her and saw what had happened. They, along with Drake, quickly dashed to Tora and Mao's side.

"Uncle Mao, what happened?" She said frantically, taking him from the strangers arms and into her own.

"Ugh...I..was...attacked." He said softly in between heavy breaths, his glasses cracked, blood trickling down his face. "They...really got me..."

"Who did this to you?!" Tora demanded. Whoever it was, she wanted to make sure they would pay for this. But to be able to do this to her uncle...they must be no average fighters.

"Some guys..." Answered Mao weakly. "There were three of them....I was kinda drunk....so I don't remember...the details much..." He coughed violently, spitting up some blood.

"Hey!" Screamed a villager, running out from the temple. "The Statue of Jaa...it's gone!" He said in a frantic panting voice.

This sent new waves of panic throughout the large, gathered crowd. Instantly, people began shouting and collapsing due to a new fear. They began talking amongst themselves, wondering what on earth would happen now.

"It's gone? But the festival begins tomorrow!" Said one. "What are we gonna do?"

"Without Jaa's guidance, our crops this year will suffer!" Said another elderly villager. "Who could've done such a thing?"

Suddenly Tora remembered the man that had come to them last night, and had offered to pay for the statue. "That man from last night...did he do this to you?" She asked Mao.

This seemed to set off a spark in Mao's memory. "Yes....I remember now...he was one of the people there..." He was desperately trying to retain his ability to talk. "And I remember also...He said he worked for..." He let out another violent cough. "He worked for...Yaba..."

The frenzied crowd suddenly fell into a hush. They began whispering that name amongst themselves, with worried expressions on their faces.

"Yaba? Who's that?" Asked Drake to the defeated old man.

"In his prime..." Muttered Mao. "He was known as one of the most terrifying pirates on the North Blue. He pillaged many cities and amassed a horde of treasure from those villages...until he contacted he deadly disease that weakened him severely and his atrocities suddenly stopped. But he still has many followers who still do his dirty work for him...he's still a force to be reckoned with..."

"Do you know where they went?" Pleaded Tora.

"I think..." Said Mao, his voice becoming weak. "They said something about meeting up at Mt. Therevada..."

"Alright then," Said Tora, laying Mao gently on the ground before standing up. "Jiz, Tin, Aki, make sure Uncle Mao gets to a doctor, and tell Dad I'll be home later." She clenched her fist. "I'm gonna take back that statue!"

"H-hold on," Said Jiz. "You can't honestly be thinking of going alone, can you? Look would they did to Mao. You'll get killed..."

Suddenly Drake stepped in. "If you don't mind," He said. "I'll come along with you. Jiz is right, I don't think you could win alone...you'd have a better chance with two." _Looks like this island does have some sort of adventure to it after all..._ He thought to himself.

"You? Why should I bring you?" Asked Tora, a little doubtful of how much use he would be. "This is personal business!"

"Trust me, I consider myself to be quite the fighter." Drake told her. "And unless you plan on avenging your uncle by killing yourself, I don't think you'll succeed."

"Fine." Tora gave in. "I'll take you to Mt. Therevada. Just follow me."

* * *

Meanwhile, within a small base made inside a cave of Mt. Therevada, the Statue of Jaa was sitting on a flat rock, a temporary stay until it was sold. There were henchman everywhere, guarding the front of the cave as well as the statue, some just loitering about until some new mission was assigned for them.

"Yaba-sama!" Called out one henchman who stood out from most of the others. He was a large, long-haired, muscular man who stood almost seven feet tall with a black shirt and jeans. He scratched his long, frizzy hair that almost reached his hips, looking a little primitive as he did so. "Yaba-sama! Where are you?" He called out again.

"_I'm right here, Ooguma."_ An static voice answered. The man known as Ooguma turned to see his boss. At first glance one would not think of him as a frightening man. He was an elderly man who looked in his mid-seventies, with balding, bright white hair. His confinement to a wheelchair made him even less frightening, and the fact there was a tube coming out of a hole in his neck that was connected to Den Den Mushi, his only method of speaking after developing his disease. But one look in his eyes and you knew. He definitely a man you'd never want to meet. He pressed a button on the Den Den Mushi. _"What do you want?"_ A voice crackled through it.

"Dunno, just wondering...when are we gonna sell that statue? I wanna be rich!" He said in an almost childish, pouty voice.

"Patience, Ooguma." From behind Yaba, the spiky-haired and jean-clad Toshiro had appeared. "Do you know how much a single gram of _Chinpouseki _is worth? This thing has to weigh at least 200 Pounds. Just be patient, soon we'll have so much money we won't even know what to do with it all."

"Aah, I'm getting bored too." Another voice spoke rudely. The three men looked to see the source of the last voice. It came from a man who looked more fearsome than any of the other three. He had dark brown hair and was wearing a sleeveless black trench coat that exposed his muscular arms. Under the trench coat one could see a T-shirt that was red as blood with a target sign pictured on it. On his legs and feet he was wearing blue jeans together with a pair of black boots. Two gun holsters were visible on each side of him. He was lying down, apparently attempting to relax "This cave smells too." He said speaking to the others in a voice full of disregard. "I don't remember having to be in a smelly cave as part of the job description..."

"Hmph, you're that new guy." Said Toshiro, looking at him distastefully. "What was your name again?"

"I've told you a thousand times," Said the man, continuing to show disrespect by picking his nose and flicking a booger. "It's 'Dominic'. How many times I gotta tell ya?"

"Look, I know you've only recently joined, so you may not be familiar with the rules," Spoke Toshiro, getting angered by the man called Dominic's actions. "But only Yaba-sama can boss people around like that. You better show some respect to your boss..."

"Or what? He'll run over me with that wheelchair?" Dominic laughed at his own joke.

"Why you...!" Said Toshiro, taking a fighting stance, prepared to kick the crap out of this newcomer. Dominic almost instantly was on his feet, pistol in each hand, each pointing towards Toshiro.

"So, you wanna fight eh?" Said Dominic, sounding suddenly excited. "Now _that_ I can..."

"_Hold on, break it up!"_ Yaba's voice through the Den Den Mushi spoke. Though electronic, you could tell it was said with emphasis. _"Toshiro, calm down, don't get angered by words." _He said to a still murderous looking Toshiro. _"We hired this man for his strength, not his mouth. We'll only be here for another day at the most, everyone just keep their pants on." _ With that, he wheeled away from the other three men.

* * *

"Here it is." Said Tora as she and Drake stepped into a clearing. Drake was able to see all of Mt. Therevada, a small rocky mountain that stood surrounded by forest. "This is Mt. Therevada. Now, where is that Yaba guy at..."

"Look!" Pointed out Drake. Tora followed his finger to see the entrance to a cave on the mountain. The opening was guarded by four burly looking men.

"Quick, we need to hide." Said Tora alertly. "Then we can think of a way to sneak in and..."

"Won't be necessary." Said Drake, cracking his knuckles. "I can take this many." He began to walk towards the four men.

Before Tora could object, one of the men spotted Drake coming towards them. "Hey! Who are you?" One of them demanded.

"'Who I am', isn't important." Answered Drake. "What is important to know however, is that I'm going to be kicking the crap out of you all."

"What was that?!" One said angrily. "Let's show this kid who he's messing with!" The four men all began to charge at Drake.

"Hmph." Said Drake with a grin. He took a deep breath. "RYUUEN!" He shouted, before breathing a large flame at the enemies. The attack scorched them all, causing them all to scream in panic and begin rolling on the ground.

Tora stared at Drake, agape. "W-was that a Devil Fruit?" She asked, extremely surprised by what had just happened.

Drake continued to grin. "Yeah, the Ryuu Ryuu Fruit." He replied. Suddenly, the two heard footsteps from behind them. They turned their heads to see another burly man, looking shocked to see the scene.

"W-what's this?" He asked. "I leave to take a piss and all the others are defeated by two kids! What weak bastards! Looks like it's all up to me!" He grumbled as he prepared to fight the two.

Drake stepped forward to fight, but he was stopped by Tora. "Don't worry about this guy, I can handle him." She told him.

"Huh? What's a bitch like you gonna do to me, huh!?" Said the burly man, continuing to sound very pissed off.

"Heh, I'll show you what I can do!" Answered Tora. Suddenly Tora's appearance began to change. Stripes began to appear all over her skin, as her legs became more like the hind legs of a cat. Her fingernails grew shorter as her face also became more feline-like. Before anyone could question what was happening she swiftly punched the man in the chest, knocking him backwards and out cold. "MUD SEUY!" She yelled.

This time it was Drake's turn to be surprised. "You have a devil fruit too?" He asked.

Tora smiled as she turned back into her normal, human, form. "Neko Neko Fruit, Model: Tiger." She answered. "C'mon, let's head into the cave."

Drake shrugged as he followed her into the cave. This place was definitely getting more interesting.

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And there you have it! Some good action at the end, but expect the next chapter to be a lot more actiony. For the record, here's a few translations for you:

-Ooguma's name （大熊) literally means "Big Bear" in Japanese.

-_Ryuuen_ (龍炎) translates into "Dragon Flame" in Japanese

-_Chinpouseki_ (珍宝石)is made by combining the Japanese words _Chinpou_ （珍宝, meaning "Rare Treasure") and _Houseki _(宝石, meaning "Jewel", or "Gem"). So a good translation is "Rare Treasure Gem".

-_Mud Seuy_ is Thai for uppercut. Don't ask me why I know Thai.

Anyway, please continue to review, and leave any OCs if you have any! Stay tuned for more!


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